Let Me Show You The Ways
by ahrocks08
Summary: Ginny wakes up one morning and is sent on a treasure hunt around the Burrow by Harry. What will be at the end of the hunt? COMPLETE.
1. Note

**A/N: 10 inches of snow + wind equals snow day + cabin fever + unnaturally creative mind equals new story!!! Yay! **

**Disclaimer: if I owned Harry Potter would I be writing ****fan****ficion? No.**

Ginny Weasley woke up the day after Christmas really early to the feel of Harry kissing her cheek and leaving a note in her hand. They had been going out for awhile now. Harry had defeated Voldemort about two and a half years ago and they had been together ever since then. Of course, they didn't see each other as much as they would have liked, she traveled a lot with the Harpies, and Harry was always busy doing whatever it is that aurors do. Honestly she didn't think she wanted to know, better to be ignorant she thought.

They had just had a wonderful Christmas. Everyone was there, her parents, all of her brothers, Fleur, little Victoire, Hermione, Andromeda, little Teddy, and of course, Harry. After presents, food, a nap, more food, a snow ball fight, and time to spend together, everyone shuffled off to bed, exhausted and planned to sleep in the next morning.

At least, that is what Ginny had planned, and then she was woken up by a kiss. Not that she was complaining too much, mind you. But really, couldn't it have waited until it was light outside? As she woke up a little more, her curiosity beat out her annoyance at being woken up early.

"Why would he kiss me, leave me a note, and then disappear?"

She unfolded the note and read his messy scrawl:

_How do I love thee? Let me show you the ways…please proceed to my room. There the next clue awaits you. Hint: I never can seem to fit every thing in there without using magic._

_How do I love thee? _Wasn't that a poem? How in the world would he know that line? Ginny thought that maybe Hermione had helped him with that. Oh well. Giddy at the prospect of solving the clue, Ginny hurried into her clothes and rushed up to his room. Ginny glanced around the room. It was a mess. Between him and Ron, she couldn't see the floor. She tip toed around the room, quietly because Ron was still asleep, thinking. _I never can seem to fit every thing in there without using magic. _What was he talking about?

Then it hit her.

**A/N So, do you like? If so, please let me know. It really makes my day. You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. **

**If you are concerned because it was short, Don't Worry, Keep Reading, they get longer starting with chapter 4!**


	2. Trunk

**A/N So I decided to work on the second chapter today because there is still snow on the ground and I have nothing else to do. Did I mention that I love snow days but hate the snow? I really hate driving in it. Ugh.**

**Disclaimer: hello! This is fan fiction!**

Ginny went to Harry's trunk and opened it. Harry had snuck into the Dursley's house a few weeks after he had defeated Voldemort and collected the rest of his stuff, including his other books and his trunk. Now it was in a corner of the room collecting dust. Inside, she found all of his old books, (Hermione would be mad if she knew how Harry was treating the books) pieces of parchment, quills and a whole bunch of other odds and ends including a couple pairs of mismatched socks that she had no clue why he kept them. Taped to the lid, Ginny found the next clue.

_Ginny,_

_I love the way you treat me like a normal person. You don't think of me as _The Boy Who Lived_ or _The Chosen One_. You think of me as Harry, your Harry. This trunk reminds me of the first time I saw you. Remember? I asked you mum how to get on the platform. The only other major things I remember about that day besides meeting you are becoming friends with Ron and getting sorted into Gryffindor. For the next clue, head downstairs. Hint: Think about the first time I saw you here at the Burrow._

_Harry_

Ginny thought back. The first time she saw him at the Burrow had been just before her first year. Fred, George, and Ron had flown the car to the Dursley's, where Harry was staying and rescued him. Ginny laughed, mum had been so mad. She remembered waking up to her mother screaming at them. Then she groaned. Did he have to bring up the part where she freaked out when she saw Harry sitting at the table eating a huge plate of breakfast? That was one of her more embarrassing moments. Not the most embarrassing, but it was pretty high up there.

Ginny headed downstairs while she thought about the first part of the note. Well of course I think of you as a regular guy, she thought to the imaginary Harry she was having a conversation with, why shouldn't she? All you've ever wanted was to be normal. It's the least I could do.

She was also touched about what he had said about seeing her for the first time. She would have never guessed that he felt the same about that very important moment in her life. It was all very romantic and out of character for him to do stuff like this, but she was loving every minute of it.

Ginny walked into the kitchen. Where would he hide a note? Ginny replayed the moment she saw him in her mind. She was running down the stairs to ask her mum a question, and then she saw him at one end of the long table eating…

"Ah-ha, now I know where it is!"

**A/N I know they are short chapters, but they are kinda supposed to be. Don't worry I will be updating frequently. I promise! Oh, and please review! Thanks!**

**Shandra**


	3. Chair

**A/N Back to school unfortunately…this is my break from studying for finals…..**

** Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter****  
**

Ginny walked to the chair he had been sitting in when she had seen him and picked up the note that was sitting on the seat. She wondered if it was odd that they both remembered where he sat when he had first come to the Burrow. Ginny smiled as she looked at the note, this one was rolled and tied with a red ribbon.

_Ginny,_

_I love the way you still loved me even after all the years I ignored you. You once told me that you had tried to move on, well, I'm glad you didn't. (Where would we be if we weren't together now?) I remember seeing you the summer after my first year. Your brothers had gotten in trouble for rescuing me from the Dursley's. You promptly ran back upstairs after seeing me. I think Ron said something about you talking about me the whole summer. I remember thinking why would she be talking about me? I have barely even spoken to her. Times change, now I go crazy if I don't even see you. For your next clue, grab a coat and head outside. Look for something that doesn't belong but muggles wouldn't pay any attention to._

_Harry_

Ginny put her coat on, a smile playing on her face. Now she was starting to catch on, something or somewhere that reminded him of her, something related to that item or place that he loves about her, and then the next clue. This is going to be so much fun she thought.

While Ginny headed outside, she thought about Harry's letter. She thought about the boyfriends that she'd had before she started dating Harry in her 5th year. No matter how hard she had tried to like them more than friends, every time she was around them, she would find herself comparing them to Harry. And no matter how hard she tried, she always found them inferior to him. But could anyone be a better boyfriend, or person for that matter, than Harry Potter? She didn't think so.

She didn't even want to think about where they would be if they weren't together. The thought was just way too depressing.

She started looking for something that didn't belong. She didn't think this was much of a clue because there were a lot of things around the Weasley house that were out of place and that muggles couldn't see or wouldn't pay attention to. She scanned the yard. The gnomes were in the garden as usual, there was the shed with the quidditch supplies, the orchard was bare as it always was in winter. As she scanned the ground, something on the ground close to the garden caught her eye.

**A/N First I want to thank those who added my story as a story alert or reviewed, you gave me the excuse to write this chapter instead of studying…thanks!**

**With vacation coming up I should be able to update more**

**Please review, it makes my day 20 times better. It's the same emotion Harry has whenever he leaves the Dursley's and goes back to Hogwarts.**

**How did you like that analogy? Pretty clever, eh?**


	4. Boot

**A/N: Done with finals ready to write!!! Yay! I tweaked the story line to make it so the chapters are longer from now on. I won't be changing the first three though.**

**I am dedicating this chapter to those who have reviewed, especially **_**singthisstorydown, **_**who encouraged me to write longer chapters. **

**Disclaimer:**** the fact that I have to write this means that I do not own Harry Potter**

Ginny walked up to the old boot that was on the ground. It looked like something that could be used as a Portkey. She picked up the boot and looked inside. Sure enough, there was a folded note with Harry's familiar handwriting on the front. Ginny had no idea where he was going with this. She didn't know whether or not to be insulted by the fact that he was relating her to an old mangy boot. She better read the note before she made any assumptions.

_Ginny,_

_I love the way you love Quidditch as much as I do. Most girls don't understand or even like the game, like Hermione for example. I know that as long as I am with you I will always have someone to talk to and play Quidditch with. For someone who could play it for hours at a time, it is amazing to me that you are the same way. Now you might be wondering why I led you out in the cold to look in an old boot. This boot reminds me of the time that I went to the Quidditch World Cup with you, Ron, and the other Weasleys. This was my first trip on a Portkey. Even though the end didn't turn out all that great, (stupid Death Eaters, why did they have to ruin everything?) I really had a blast. This is the first time that I spent a lot of time with you. I'm glad that we both get to have this memory of an important Quidditch memory to share together. For your next clue, head up to your room. Hint: Look at these if you want a sneaky way to send messages._

_Harry_

Ginny thought about the latest clue as she walked towards the door. This hunt was not getting any easier, she thought to herself. Glancing one last time outside, she wondered where Harry was and if he was watching her. Not seeing him, she headed inside to the kitchen. Her mum was up and was starting breakfast. Ginny took off her coat and sat at the table. She decided to warm up a bit at the table while she thought about the next clue.

"Good morning, Ginny. What were you doing outside?"

"Harry sent me on a treasure hunt this morning," Ginny decided to answer truthfully because she knew her mum would know if she was lying.

"A treasure hunt?" Mrs. Weasley asked, slightly puzzled. "What's the special occasion?"

"I have no idea," answered Ginny, "But so far all the clues have been really sweet and thoughtful. I think Hermione might have helped him with them."

Mrs. Weasley, realizing that she was not going to get any more out of her daughter, gave her a plate of food. Ginny continued to think about the next clue as she ate her eggs and toast. How can you sneakily send messages? By note, maybe invisible ink? There was a whole new line of Weasley products that had to do with secret messages. Parchment that only responded to a certain spell, ink that only worked at a certain time of day, even earrings that would say a message if you said a certain phrase. Maybe it was one of these. It was a good possibility because Harry had gotten a whole box full of products for Christmas, just like he did every year.

* * *

Harry stood at the window in the room he was sharing with Ron. Ginny had just gone inside after getting the clue from the boot. He had been there ever since he heard the kitchen door slam shut. He had been waiting for it for at least half an hour. He had started to get antsy after just ten minutes. He kept asking himself what if she had lost the note he left her while she was sleeping? or What if she had just slept through the whole thing? Then he heard the door slam and ran to the window. 

He saw her look around, puzzling over her latest clue. Her eyes were searching everywhere: the orchard, the pitch, even the garden. He saw her expression when she went to the boot. It was a mix between bemusement and indignation at being compared to a smelly old boot. He saw her while she read the note. Her eyes danced across the page, he saw the occasional smile, and once even a laugh. He wondered what part she was laughing at; he hadn't meant any of that to be funny. He would have to ask her what she was laughing at later. Then he saw her frown as she read the next clue, her forehead scrunched as she thought about it. He saw her walk to the door, pause, and then look around the yard. He guessed (correctly) that she was looking to see if he was watching her.

About the time that Ginny disappeared inside, Ron started to wake up. When he noticed that Harry was already awake and dressed, he groaned. He was not a morning person and he hated seeing someone as happy and awake as Harry was first thing in the morning.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked Harry when he found the energy to talk.

"I just have a feeling that today is going to be a very good day."

"What could possibly give you that inclination?" Ron asked grumpily.

Harry looked at him funny before he said, "You have been spending way too much time with Hermione, Ron. You are starting to talk like her. And why can't I just be happy?"

Ron glared at him, he couldn't really think of a good comeback for that. It was true that he was spending a lot of time with Hermione. He loved her. Why shouldn't he spend a lot of time with her? So instead, Ron changed the subject.

"I think Ginny was in here this morning. Unless I'm dreaming, I think she was going through your stuff. Weird if you ask me. What is in your trunk that she would have the slightest interest in?"

Instead of answering, Harry just grinned. He didn't plan on telling anyone that he had sent Ginny on a treasure hunt until after the fact. Besides, they would all know soon enough. Ron looked at him suspiciously, he wasn't sure he liked the way Harry's face lit up when he mentioned Ginny or that he wouldn't answer his question. Oh well, he decided to deal with that later. Right now he was hungry.

"I'm going to head downstairs and get some breakfast, want to come?" Ron asked.

"Nah, I think I'm going stay in here for awhile, maybe read a book." He didn't want Ginny to see him until she was at the end of the treasure hunt.

Ron looked at his friend. He had known Harry for almost ten years, and even if he didn't have a reputation for eating everything like Ron, he knew him well enough to know that he would never willingly choose reading a book to eating. Something was going on that he wasn't telling him. Ron shrugged and headed downstairs. He really was hungry.

* * *

Ginny went upstairs after hurrying through breakfast. On her way, she passed Ron on the stairs. She heard him muttering something like "secrets…..me….happy… .Hermione…" Deciding is was better not to ask, Ginny headed into her room. She glanced around thinking about the clue, what is a _sneaky way to send messages_? Then her eyes fell on a box on her dresser. It was a brightly colored wooden box that Hermione had gotten her on one of her many vacations, she thought it might have been France, but she wasn't sure. Ginny walked towards it knowing what she would find inside. 

**A/N So how was it? Too long? It was longer than what I expected. Oh well. Let me know what you guys think. What do you think about Harry's point of view added to the story? Also I'm considering adding a poll for this story. Good idea or no? **


	5. Galleon

**A/N This will be my last chapter before Christmas, because it is like 12 christmas morning, so here is your Christmas present! Yay! Merry Christmas**

**Today my sister, my mom and I watched Harry Potter 1 and 2. Then we had to stop, but our original goal was to watch the whole series so far, we were a little ambitious. ;)**

Ginny walked over to her dresser and grabbed the box. Opening the lid she grabbed the Galleon that the members of the D.A. carried around back in her 4th year. This is where they would get information about the D.A. _A sneaky way to send messages_. Talk about a sneaky way to give a clue, Ginny thought. Ginny looked at the Galleon, all it said was

_Look behind poster_.

Poster? What Poster? Ginny glanced around her room. Her eyes fell on her poster of the Weird Sisters. Looking doubtfully at the poster she checked behind it, and sure enough, there was a note taped to the wall. Interesting, Ginny thought, what in the world could this be about? I didn't even know he liked the Weird Sisters. Ginny opened up the note.

_Ginny,_

_I love how brave you are. You are always putting your life at risk just to fight. You came with us to the Ministry during my 5__th__ year, you helped 6__th__ year when the Death Eaters showed up at the castle, and you helped during the Last Battle. You didn't have to, but you did. You are also a very talented witch. Heaven forbid I ever get on the wrong end of your wand. (If, in the future, I ever make you mad, just remember that you love me and want me to be happy.) Sorry if I confused you with the message. The real place was the Galleon, but I couldn't fit this message on the coin. The Galleon represents the D.A. which reminds me of you in many ways. Helping you with defense skills, hanging out with you in the Room of Requirement, and even you coming with me to fight at the Ministry, just to name a few. For your next clue, head back outside, (I know, it's cold but since you are in your room you can add more layers) head towards the orchard. Hint: it's big, round and red all over, and it is not a newspaper._

_Harry_

Not a newspaper? What was he talking about? _The Daily Prophet _isn't red. Maybe it was one of those muggle jokes he and Hermione laughed at all the time, and no one else got. Yeah, that was probably it.

Taking Harry's advice, Ginny put on another layer of clothes, walked out of her bedroom, knowing for the first time exactly where the next clue would be. The trick was grabbing her coat, hat, and gloves, and going back outside without getting bombarded with questions. She really didn't feel like answering her family's questions right now. Really, has her family always been this nosy or is it something new?

* * *

Mrs. Weasley set a heaping plate of food in front of her youngest son. With a mumbled, "Thanks mum!" he started to devour the food. She thought she had taught him manners over the years, but by the looks of him, obviously not.

"The food is not going anywhere, Ron! Slow down," she said to him.

Without even waiting for an answer, she went back to her baking. She was making cookies for later today. Her sons had devoured all the candy and sweets she had made for Christmas yesterday. She couldn't have everyone staying at her house without something sweet to snack on. So she was making cookies. Again.

After a few minutes of silence, Hermione came into the kitchen. She thanked Mrs. Weasley for letting her stay the night last night.

"No problem, dear. I like having you around, you keep Ron in order."

"Hey!" Ron said, trying to defend himself. Hermione just laughed as she grabbed some toast for breakfast.

"I have to go to Diagon Alley today. Ron will you come with me? I want your opinion on a book in Flourish and Blotts."

"Sure," he replied, "I'm not sure why you want my opinion on a book, but I'll come. When do you want to leave?"

"Right now," Hermione decided.

"Okay," Ron said, "Let me grab my coat." And with that, they said good-bye to Mrs. Weasley and left the house.

Mrs. Weasley heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, she could think without getting interrupted. What is this treasure hunt that Harry has sent Ginny on all about? Was it just something fun to do or was there more to it? While Mrs. Weasley started thinking about all the possibilities, every one scaring her just a bit more, her husband walked down the stairs, crossed the kitchen, and pecked his wife on the cheek.

"Good morning, Molly!" he said, "What are you up to this fine morning?"

"You seem rather cheerful this morning. I was just baking some more cookies; your sons finished all of them yesterday."

"I'm cheerful because I am planning on spending the day in the shed with the Muggle gadgets that Hermione got me for Christmas. I looked in there earlier and saw more outlets, a light switch and something Harry told me was a stapler, it's supposed to attach papers together. Isn't that amazing? Where is everyone this morning?"

"Ginny has already been down here, she was up before I was, Ron and Hermione just left to go to Diagon Alley, and everyone else is still asleep or in their room."

"Ginny was up before you? What was she doing? She's usually the last one to get up."

"Harry sent her on a treasure hunt."

"Really? Why?"

"I haven't the slightest, but I'm wondering if I should be worried."

"Probably not, Molly, he is probably just going to give her a Christmas gift or something."

"But he gave her one yesterday, I saw her open it."

"Maybe he has another one to give her."

"I hope you are right, Arthur. Here, take some food outside with you to the shed."

"Thanks Mol, I'll see you later today." Mr. Weasley started to head out to the shed to mess with the muggle gadgets.

"Don't hurt yourself!" Mrs. Weasley yelled to the back of her husband as he headed outside.

* * *

Ginny crept down the stairs, listening to her mum and dad talk. Her dad was saying something about going to the shed to work on gadgets. She thought now would be the time to head outside while they were in the middle of a conversation. They usually were in their own little world when they talked to each other. Ginny crept against the wall, hearing snatches of their conversation. It seemed as though they were discussing her treasure hunt. See? Nosy! Absolutely no privacy in this house. Oh well, they were bound to wonder why she was walking around the house so much. She grabbed her coat, hat, and gloves, and headed outside. She went straight for the old stone outhouse that the broomsticks were stored in.

**A/N Sorry if the joke at the beginning was lame, and if you didn't notice the joke, you are probably lucky. It's really late (or early) and I might be a little loopy right now.**

**Quick rant: Don't you hate it when the characters never do what you want them to? Ron and Hermione caused me to rewrite a whole section (hence reason for rant) It is not my fault they kept showing up when they weren't supposed to. End rant.**

**So I put a poll on my page. Go vote! This is your chance to get your own input!**

**Lastly, Review! It is greatly appreciated. And Merry Christmas!**


	6. Quaffle

**A/N So I'm on my moms laptop and I'm not used to the keys. On the good side though, I get to be right next to the wood stove and I am happy to say that I am warm for the first time today. Yay! Enjoy the Chapter. And if it is cold where you are, hope you stay warm! If it is warm/hot where you are……you're lucky! I almost said hate, but I don't really hate you, because you are reading my story. **

**Disclaimer: I disclaim ownership of Harry Potter, other characters, and this world.**

**I am dedicating this one to my sis, even though she does not read my stuff. May we forevermore use "bloody" either incorrectly or correctly. "Bloody brilliant!"**

Ginny walked to the old outhouse where the brooms and Quidditch stuff was stored. She was extremely excited for this one; this one was bound to be special. This was the first one where she knew exactly where she was headed when she finished reading the clue. She opened the door and got out the chest that had the Quidditch balls in it. Lifting up the quaffle, Ginny found what she knew was there. The note was neatly folded with her name on the front. Obviously Harry wanted to make sure this one didn't get into the wrong hands, which was likely since the Weasley's had a habit of playing Quidditch whenever they wanted, any time, day or night. Bit annoying really. Ginny opened the note.

_Ginny,_

_I love the way you kiss. I love how you take my breath away, make me forget everything, and make my knees go weak all at the same time. I'm not a wimpy man so making my knees go weak is quite a task, but you do it every time your lips meet mine. When I think about Quidditch, it reminds me of the first time we kissed. It was in the Gryffindor common room, I had just got back from detention with Snape and the team had just won the Quidditch cup, you came running forward and we kissed. In front of everyone. That is one of the happiest moments of my life. I will never forget how I felt those first few weeks when we were together. I just kept waiting for someone to wake me up and tell me that it was all a dream, that you were still together with Dean and that I had never kissed you in the common room. I'm so glad that it wasn't a dream. For your next clue, go warm up by the fire, then think about what you got yesterday for Christmas. Two hints: 1)The fire has nothing to do with the clue, but I'm sure you're cold so you can warm up while you think of the next clue. And 2)When you cry, you don't just cry teardrops, you cry green teardrops._

_Harry_

Ginny was amazed. That was the most thoughtful, romantic, and puzzling note she'd had yet. She never knew he could be so sweet. Now she was convinced that Harry had asked Hermione for help. She would have to thank Hermione when she saw her. Maybe she could buy her something next time she went somewhere with the Harpies. Maybe she would get her a fan when she was playing the Ñoños in Spain. Hermione seemed like the person who could use a fan.

That line about how she could make his knees go weak made her melt. She always melted when he said stuff like that. Her brothers could call her weak, but she didn't care, she was allowed to be a girl sometimes, wasn't she? Ginny reminisced about her first kiss with Harry while she put the quaffle back and headed inside to take Harry's advice and warm up by the fire.

She never would be able to tell anyone exactly how she had gotten into Harry's arms that day after winning the Quidditch Cup. It was as if she was in a trance, as if someone else was in control of her body, then while she was kissing Harry, it was as if no one had any control over her body at all. Then afterwards, she was in a permanent trance. She was also dreading the moment when she was forced to wake up and realize that it was all a dream. She had never realized that he had felt the same way that she had. Somehow, it made up for all that hurt she had gone through from the end of her 5th year to when they got back together after the war.

* * *

Harry watched the yard for signs of Ginny, she should be headed back outside soon, he thought, trying to remember the order in which he had set up the hunt. Harry smiled as he saw Ron and Hermione come out of the house, walking hand and hand. Ron had a slightly puzzled look on his face. Harry wondered where Hermione had decided to take him today. He owed her big time for getting him out of the house. If he stayed at the Burrow, Ron was sure to get in the way, and mess up Harry's plans. So he had cornered Hermione yesterday after lunch and asked her to take him out of the house for the day. He wouldn't tell her why, but she agreed, "Only because you are my best friend, and I secretly enjoy spending time with him." 

Harry laughed. It wasn't too much of a secret that she liked to be around Ron. They had barely left each other's side yesterday. She had even fought in the snow ball fight yesterday with them, on Ron's team of course.

Harry then saw Ginny come outside, walking determinedly toward the old outhouse where the Quidditch stuff was stored. He smiled broadly, _she knows the next clue already_. He was surprised at how quickly she was going through the clues. Of course, she shouldn't be too surprised, she was too smart, determined, and stubborn to let a clue stump her for more than a few minutes. While he was waiting for Ginny to emerge from the outhouse, Harry saw Mr. Weasley come outside with the box full of muggle trinkets from Hermione in tow. He was walking happily to the shed. _He's probably going to spend the whole day in there messing around_, Harry thought. Harry chuckled, who knew today was going to be such a good day for everyone? It might be good enough to rival Christmas day.

* * *

Hermione pulled Ron past all of his favorite stores. She was determined to take him into Flourish and Blotts. Why? Because she was in the mood to go book shopping and didn't want to spend precious minutes looking at a broom she didn't need, or an animal she didn't want or even something from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, not that she didn't like the shop, she just didn't see the point in going there if George wasn't there. He was still at the Burrow with the rest of the Weasleys. She was definitely in the mood to get a new book, and she didn't care if the crowds were bad because of the day after Christmas sales, she was going to get herself a new book, darn it. She only brought Ron along because Harry asked her to get him out of the house for the day. Did she mention the sales? 

She was still curious as to why he didn't want Ron there. _Oh well_, she thought, _I'll figure it out eventually. If Harry won't tell me, then I'm sure Ginny will. I can usually get her to tell me what's going on._

"Oww, Hermione! You're going to pull my arm out of socket! Slow down!"

"I can't Ron! If I don't get there before the 10 o'clock rush, then all the good books will be gone. I really want that new book. You know, _In The Broom Cupboard_ by Penny Clear. It's about a secret romance at Hogwarts! Between prefects, even! I can't wait to read it, and it is on sale till noon, and if we don't hurry there won't be anymore!"

"I thought you only read textbooks! I have never seen you with anything else." Ron said.

"Of course I read novels, Ron." Hermione stated, looking slightly annoyed and hurt that he just realized that she read more than text books.

"Oh. Well I didn't know. Besides, don't you think that story line sounds slightly familiar? I just can't place who it reminds me of though."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Ron. Now stop dallying, I want that book, we have to get there before noon!"

"Hermione, it's only 9:30. We have plenty of time. Can't we stop and look at the new supplies in the Quidditch shop?" Ron said in a slightly whiney voice.

"_Ron. Now._" Hermione said in a if-you-don't-cooperate-right-now-I'm-going-to hex-you voice. Needless to say, Ron silently followed Hermione the rest of the way to Flourish and Blotts.

* * *

Ginny stood in front of the fire in the kitchen warming her hands and avoiding her mum's curious glances. She knew she was restraining herself from asking questions, probably in fear of what the answer would be. Not that Ginny had an answer, but she was pretty good at making them up. 

Ginny thought about what she had gotten yesterday for Christmas. The book, _100 Greatest Female Quidditch Players Of All Time_, ("Maybe you'll be on that list someday, Ginny" Hermione had said.) from Ron and Hermione, products from the shop from George, a necklace with a heart on it from her parents, a book with hair and makeup charms in it from Bill, Fleur, and Victoir (Fleur's idea of course), new Quidditch gloves from Charlie, stationary from Percy ("To write us when you are traveling."), and from Harry she had gotten……

_Well duh! _she thought, _Of course he was going to put the next clue with his gift._

**A/N Wow! This was one of my longer ones. Few things to say….**

**I made up the Spain team's name. It's kinda a joke between my Spanish class, supposedly it means brats in Spanish, if it doesn't and it means something totally different then I'm sorry, but that is what my teacher said.**

**I was listening to the soundtrack for **_**Titanic**_** (I know, you're prolly mocking me, but I don't care, it relaxes me) while I was writing the note and it put me in a romantic mood, so if it seems a lil' more fluffy than usual, then that is why.**

**The scene between Ron and Hermione is from personal experiences shopping with a bookworm (me) yesterday (the day after Christmas) shopping. **

**This is one of my fave. chapters so far. I don't know if it is because of the holidays, but my reviews have gone down, so this is my subtle reminder to Review.**

**I hate the keyboard on the laptop, I kept making the cursor jump to various places on the page.**

**And lastly, check out the poll on my page, and vote. Voting and reviewing makes me happy, and you want the author happy, Right?**

**Sorry if the authors note is too long. I had a lot to get off my chest.**

**Oh, and virtual candy of your choice if you can guess who the book that Hermione wants is about! Lol. Good luck, your Bertie Botts, Chocolate Frog, or Licorice wand is at stake!!!!!**


	7. Earrings

**A/N Still Cold, drinking coffee/hot chocolate constantly. Did you know that my cordless keyboard will work in the other room? I don't even have to be in the same room as the computer to type stuff. I could be in say the bathroom across the hall. Cool huh?**

**Still listening to**_**Titanic**_

**Disclaimer: I disclaim ownership of everything Harry Potter**

**I dedicate this chapter to all those who love coffee. And chocolate. Because I can. And I did. See?**

Ginny hurried up to her room. She went to the pile of presents by her bed and grabbed the small box that contained Harry's gift. Opening it, she admired the beautiful earrings. They were gold studs with a gold chain that dangled with a teardrop cut emerald on the end of the chain. She had been completely shocked by the gift and could not believe that he had spent so much money on her. Personally she thought that the emeralds were the same color as Harry's eyes, but when she mentioned it to him, he said that he had chosen the emeralds because he liked how she looked in green, and maybe she would be inclined to wear green more often.

Ginny glanced down at her clothes and laughed. She happened to be wearing a green sweater and jeans today. She decided to complete the outfit with the earrings. While she was putting the earrings in, she accidentally dropped the box. When she picked up the contents of the box, she found the note she had temporarily forgotten all about. _He must have put it in here this morning, I'm sure it wasn't in here yesterday, _she thought. Ginny was surprised at how quickly she could forget about the hunt when she looked at the beautiful earrings. She opened the note and read the oh-so-familiar scrawl:

_Ginny_

_I love the way you look. Especially in green. I know I told you this yesterday, but it is true. You know that feeling I told you about when we kiss? Well, when you wear green that same thing happens. Even if you are not in green you still take my breath away. Sometimes I wish your beauty wasn't so obvious, then I wouldn't have to glare at every single guy that walks by whenever we go out. These earrings represent everything I wish to give you in the future. You deserve all the nicest things and I plan on giving you everything you could ever want in the future. For your next clue make sure no one is in the hallway and go to the place that made me the happiest man alive over 2 years ago. No hint for this one, you should know this._

_Harry_

Ginny sighed. She was having a hard enough time solving the clues with the hint. Now she had to solve it without one. _Ugh. Not good. _If he kept giving her seemingly impossible clues, she just might have to wear green everyday and kiss him often so that he would be constantly breathless. That would serve him right, she thought with an evil laugh.

On the bright side though, his note was, again, uncommonly sweet. She had always assumed that he glared at everyone because they stared at him, because he _was_ Harry Potter, as everyone always had to remind him of that every time they went somewhere.

"You're Harry Potter! I recognized you from your scar. You defeated You-Know-Who!"

Bloody annoying it was. Anyway, that's why she thought he was always glaring at people. Turns out, he was glaring because people were looking at _her. _Huh. Interesting. It actually made her really happy. Knowing that Harry felt like he had to ward off competition made her feel giddy, and gave her possible leverage in future situations. Not that she would use any thing she learned during this hunt to hurt him, but she might be able to get him to do things for her. This time, a smile lit up her whole face and she took a trip to "Future Land" where Harry was giving her chocolate at 2 in the morning because it sounded good, then Harry giving her a foot massage, and then he was fixing her dinner….ah, the possibilities were endless….

* * *

George was walking down the stairs with Charlie. They had just woken up and were still in their pajamas. They were on their way to get breakfast. 

"When do you have to head back to Romania, Charlie?" George asked.

"Well, I don't have to go back to work till after New Year's, so I should be here till then, unless something happens." Charlie answered after a moment's hesitation.

"Mum will be glad to hear that. She really misses you when you are gone, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I can't help it though, I like working with dragons, and seeing as there are none in England, I have to stay in Romania."

As they passed Ginny's room, her door cracked open, and her head poked out.

"Hey," Ginny said, "Didn't know you guys were up. Bye!"

She slammed the door closed before either of them could say a word. They looked at each other with bemused expressions on their faces. It appeared as if their baby sister was hiding something. They shrugged their shoulders.

"Maybe mum will know what's up with her. Anyway, I know what you mean I have had a hard time convincing mum that it's better if I live over the shop in Diagon Alley. I'll never know how you convinced her you would be ok in Romania." George said.

Charlie laughed. "She wasn't too happy about the idea at first, but I kinda told her that I was going anyway, and that I would like it if she would accept the fact that I couldn't stay here in England and be happy. I said she was ok with Bill going to Egypt, why couldn't I go to Romania? Seems mum's always been one to try and keep things even between us kids. I think that is why she finally accepted me going."

"Wow, I never knew that was how you convinced her. That was sneaky!"

"What was sneaky?" Mrs. Weasley asked George as they walked into the kitchen.

"Nothing, mum. We were…ah…talking about…ah….Quidditch. Yeah…Quidditch." Charlie stuttered, not wanting to tell her what they were talking about. He was afraid George would end up telling her what he had just told him, and he didn't know what the consequences would be, but they would not be good, that was for sure.

"Smooth," George muttered under his breath, trying not to laugh.

Mrs. Weasley eyed them suspiciously, she knew them well enough to know that they weren't talking about Quidditch, Charlie's guilty face showed that much. Deciding she really didn't want to know what they were talking about, she changed the subject.

"So what are your plans for today, boys?" she asked as she gave them their breakfast.

"We were going to see about playing Quidditch today but it seems as though we might be short at least one player. Ginny was acting strange this morning. Do you know what that is about?" George asked.

"You'll be short more than one player, that is for sure. Harry has sent Ginny on a treasure hunt around the house, so Ginny is pretty much ignoring everyone this morning."

"That explains the weird greeting this morning," Charlie whispered to George.

"And I haven't even seen Harry this morning," Mrs. Weasley continued, "I wonder if I ought to send him up some breakfast? Oh, and Hermione dragged Ron off to Diagon Alley. It sounded like she was planning on spending the day there. So those two are out."

George thought for a minute. Then said, "Percy won't play, he's probably doing something for the Ministry. I'm surprised he stayed home today."

"They probably made him take the day off. You know, like required days off or something like that." Charlie added to George's train of thought. "And unless Fleur plays, which I doubt, because of Victoire, then it is down to you, me, and Bill. Unless you want to play, mum?"

Mrs. Weasley just gave them a look that said, _in all my years of being a mother, have I ever played Quidditch?_

"So was that a no, then?" George asked, grinning.

Charlie slapped him on the back of the head and said, "Can't you tell she's jumping for joy at the prospect of playing, and beating us?"

George sighed, "I guess we'll just have to spend the day inside playing with Teddy and Victoire. Not that we mind too much, they are just irresistible!"

"And spoiled rotten, thanks to all of their uncles! Honestly, how many dolls does Victoire need?"

"Or how many toys does Teddy need?" asked Andromeda as she entered the room.

The boys looked sheepish enough for the entire clan of Weasley boys, plus one Potter.

"You spoil them rotten!" Andromeda echoed Mrs. Weasley. "Good morning Molly!"

"Good morning! You're planning on staying today too, aren't you? Where's Teddy."

"He's in the living room, playing with his new toys," she glanced at the Weasley men sitting at the table. Turning back to Molly, she added, "Actually, I was wondering if you would watch Teddy for a couple of days. I have a couple of friends that I would like to spend some time with, and I could use a few days to rest, if you know what I mean."

"Of course! We would love to keep Teddy for a couple of days. Take as long as you need."

"Yeah!" echoed Charlie and George, fantasizing about turning Teddy into a miniature, trouble making, Weasley.

"Great! Thank you so much. I think I will pack, say goodbye to Teddy, the head on out." Andromeda said as she walked out of the room.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her sons, "Don't even think about it! I know you boys way too well."

She laughed at their faces of fake innocence as she turned back to her baking.

* * *

Ginny peaked outside again to see if the coast was clear. She saw Andromeda as she came back up the stairs and headed into the spare bedroom. After that, the hallway was empty. She stepped into the hallway, and started to think. _Go to the place that made me the happiest man alive over two years ago. _Well, two and a half years ago would be around the time that Harry defeated Voldemort, so maybe she was supposed to go to Hogwarts where it happened. But that didn't make sense. Why would he start to send her away from the Burrow now? If she should have been sent to Hogwarts any time then it should've been where they first kissed. Yeah, that would've been a good place for a clue, but leaving the Burrow did not seem like part of the hunt. 

With a frustrated sigh, Ginny sat down on the steps and thought about anything that related to her and Harry in this hallway. Just as she was going through the time they bumped in the hallway, the summer before her 5th year, her hand accidentally slipped under the carpet on the landing behind her, her fingers closed around something that made her smile.

**A/N: Wow! Not sure how I feel about this chapter. This took me forever! I have been writing off and on for 7 hrs. straight! But in the meantime I have:**

**Learned a game called "Snap"**

**Talked to my friend Sarah, and found out that I wasn't invited to a New Year's party by one of my closest friends :( **

**Took the WOMBATS on JK Rowling's sight and got an A**

**Found out that Percy did not marry Penelope (who wrote the book from the last chapter, it was about them, by the way, congrats to those who got it right), and Charlie remained single, which really caused a problem in the plotline for this chapter, so pretty much, I had a meltdown for like an hour. Then got my head back together and have only one thing to say about the whole thing: HMPH as I cross my arms and pout**

**Made soup**

**Drank four cups of coffee**

**Watched part of the Colt's game, all I have to say about that is: grrr (they lost)**

**Sooo, sorry the A/N is so long, and I am still baffled by a character's ability to come in a completely change a scene, i.e. Andromeda was not planned for this chapter, but there she is! Funny how that happens…..**

**Don't for get to vote on where the last clue leads Ginny! **

**Reviews are always appreciated, **

**Shandra**


	8. Steps

A/N Snowed in at my grandma's this time

**A/N Sorry this took so long. Full explanation at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer**** see previous chapters, I have nothing witty to say here. **

**Listening to the Beach Boys, the Monkees and Ray Charles this time**

**I dedicate this chapter to George's ear. Because I got to thinking that it must be extremely difficult to hear with just one. Although it could have its advantages if you didn't want to talk to someone…..anyway, enough of my blabbering, here's the story!**

Lifting up the rug, Ginny pulled out a folded piece of paper with her name on it. She still had absolutely no clue why Harry had led her here, but she figured she was pretty lucky to have found the note without exactly knowing the next clue. Well, she would know soon enough. Ginny opened the note, smiling as she read the familiar handwriting.

_Ginny,_

_I love the way you understand me. You always understand what I am going through, and you know exactly what to say and when to say it. It amazes me, but sometimes you know what I am going to say before I even say it. How do you do that? Anyway, I made this clue fairly easy to find because I knew you wouldn't get it. Do you remember that day, shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts? I had left the living room where your whole family was in there. Just sitting there, not talking. At one point, I just had to get away. Somehow, I ended up in the hallway. Then you came over and just sat there, leaning on my shoulder. It was just the thing I needed. I don't think I ever thanked you for that. So, thank you. Next, I am sending you downstairs. There's no point in trying to avoid everyone when you go downstairs, so I suggest not even trying. Hint: We always try to call this, but we seem to be constantly fighting with Ron and Hermione over it._

_Harry_

Ginny sat there and recalled the day Harry was talking about. She had gone to find him because he was the only person who had been able to comfort her those first few days. Ginny found it funny that, as it turned out, he needed her during that time just as much as she needed him. Without him, she would have been an emotional wreck.

She was really enjoying this treasure hunt. Not only did she like the challenge of finding the next clues and reading all the lovely things he was writing about her, but she was learning so much about Harry. Stuff, she was sure, he would never say to her face. Ginny giggled, his face would turn bright red and he would get tongue-tied if he tried to tell her to her face what he had been saying in his letters. Who knew The Chosen One could get tongue-tied talking about his feelings?

Sighing, she decided that she would have to tell Harry how she knew what he was thinking before he said anything. She would have to tell him that, because she knew him so well, she could tell what he was thinking by the look on his face. It was only fair to tell him seeing as how he was revealing So much about himself to her that she could at least share that secret with him. _Well, _she though, _there goes my reputation for reading people's minds. Pity, I really enjoyed watching people try to close off their minds. It was really entertaining._

Ginny was still sitting on the stairs thinking about Harry and the notes when Andromeda walked up behind her, bag in hand. Ginny jumped when she first spoke to her.

"Ginny? Are you ok? You had a dreamy look on your face. Looked a bit like Luna actually."

Ginny laughed. She had never been compared to Luna before. A few years ago, she probably would have been offended, but now she didn't mind. She still considered Luna one of her closest friends, Even if she never did see her because of both of their busy traveling schedules.

"Actually I was thinking about Harry. He's sent me on a treasure hunt this morning. He has been writing me the sweetest notes. I have no idea how I am going to return the favor."

"Ted used to do the same things for me, even if it was only to tell me that he loved me," a sad smile was on her lips at the mention of her husband. "I'm heading to a friends house to relax for a few days and I am leaving Teddy here. I hope you Weasleys don't spoil him too much."

Ginny's eyes brightened, if it was possible, even more at the thought of spending a few days with the beloved Teddy. "Oh, don't worry, Andromeda. I'll make sure the guys behave themselves."

Andromeda looked at Ginny suspiciously, "It's not just the guys I'm worried about."

Ginny just laughed as Andromeda started walking down the stairs. Andromeda had just reached the bottom step when she looked up at Ginny and said, "Good luck on you hunt!" Ginny waved good-bye to the dear lady that had become just like family over the past couple years.

After she left, Ginny walked downstairs and went through the kitchen sneakily to avoid her mum's interrogations. When she walked into the living room, she was greeted with the cutest sight.

George and Charlie were sitting on the floor in front of Teddy, whose hair was a familiar shade of red. Teddy seemed to be extremely interested in the faces of both men. Occasionally he would poke George in the eye or stick a finger in Charlie's nose, earning a grunt from one and a laugh from the other.

They both looked expectantly at Ginny when they saw her come in. Obviously, they thought that Ginny should tell them what was going on. Ginny just smiled and shook her head, opting instead to pick up Teddy and give him a big kiss.

Mrs. Weasley walked up the stairs muttering to herself. If he is not going to come down and eat, I'll just take food up to him. Harry wasn't the only one who hadn't come down and eaten, but she knew that Percy, Bill, Fleur, and Victoire would come down when they were ready. Harry on the other hand, had a terrible habit of skipping meals. She knocked on his door, and went in when he heard the slightly hesitant "Come in."

"Good morning, Harry dear. I thought you could use a bit of breakfast." Mrs. Weasley conjured up some food and handed it to Harry.

Harry smiled his thanks. He looked at her and laughed, "You'll just have to find out like everybody else," he said, then added, "I could tell you were wanting to ask."

Mrs. Weasley smiled at being caught and slightly disappointed that he wasn't going to clue her in.

"Mrs. Weasley, could you do me a favor?" Harry asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Of course, dear. What is it?"

Harry pulled a note addressed to Ginny from his pocket. "I was wondering how I was going to get this to you. Could you give this to Ginny when she asks for it.?"

Mrs. Weasley, being a hopeless romantic, happily agreed to take the note and be a part of such a romantic gesture. On her way out of the room, Harry asked one last thing, "Could you not read it? It might ruin the whole thing. Mrs. Weasley nodded and headed back down the stairs.

After putting Teddy, who was squirming and trying to get down, so that he could explore her brother's faces again, Ginny scanned the room looking for something that she and Harry tried to call, but had to fight over with Ron and Hermione.

_Well, _she thought, _that could be a few things. Like the spot right in front of the fireplace, the _Daily Prophet_, the chess board, or……_

**A/N I am sooooo sorry that this took so long to update. I will sheepishly say that I have not updated since Sunday and it is now Saturday night. I blame this on two things: lack of computer because I was at my grandma's and she doesn't have very good internet and lack of motivation, I had absolutely no motivation this past week. Again, I'm sorry.**

**So I mapped out the rest of the story, and it ended up being 13 chapters, so being as I am slightly superstitious and 13 being an unlucky number, I added a chapter, or two, depending on how I feel. **

**Please vote for where you want the last clue to lead Ginny, I am actually really surprised as to what you guys are saying…**

**Reviews are truly appreciated.**

**Shandra**


	9. Loveseat

**A/N So I had like an insane amount of reviews last chapter, and I got motivation (yes I went from a lack of to an abundance of, yippee!), so I wrote the next chapter. I figured if I got so much reviews last time I should do what I did last time, which is to write out the whole chapter on paper, it took 7 and a ½ pages, single sided. Whew!**

**So I once read a 3 paragraph disclaimer, but seeing as I was saving my creativeness for the story, you'll have to settle with this:**

**Disclaimer****: insert creative and witty way to say that I do not own Harry Potter and everything that comes with him **

**Looking back on it that was rather witty to come up with, right? **

**I dedicate this chapter to Professor McGonagall because she made me laugh during the Hogwarts Battle. May she forever be quoted talking to desks, at least I think it was desks (I don't have my book handy) "Charge!" I giggled uncontrollably for a couple minutes just now, it's just so funny!**

**Now on to the Story!**

_The Loveseat!_

Ginny headed towards the loveseat in the corner of the living room. It was perfect for those late nights when all she wanted to do was sit there and curl p next to Harry. She checked behind, underneath, and finally under and around the cushions. She found the next note right where Harry's butt would have been, pure coincidence most likely. Ginny happily plopped down on the loveseat and opened her note, completely oblivious to the looks of bemusement on George and Charlie's faces.

_Ginny, _

_I love how relaxed you make me feel. After a hard day at work, it is the best feeling in the world to see you and hold you in my arms. You make me feel like there is nothing wrong in the world. And for me, that feeling is unusual. You probably decided to stay in the living room while reading this, so take this time to say hello to whichever Weasleys are in there for me. Now that we got that out of the way, here is your next clue. This one is living, and I cannot tell you exactly where it is, so I will make it easier for you. Think about what I would be like if this person didn't keep filling me up. Say good-bye to the present Weasleys for me. _

_Harry_

Ginny laughed and told George and Charlie that Harry said bye. She then laughed harder at the confused look on their faces. She had complied with Harry's earlier request and ha told them hi for him, but she had been so eager to read the rest of the not that she hadn't looked up. She was actually really surprised at how well Harry seemed to know her. How did he know she would stay downstairs to read the note?

She sighed and wished that Harry was with her now. She always felt so relaxed when she was with him, too. Not to mention the fact that he had a mean back rub. Just was a Quidditch Chaser needed: a boyfriend who liked to give backrubs. She'd have to tell Harry that she wanted one, whenever she saw him, that is.

* * *

Bill and Fleur were exhausted. Baby Victoire was only a few months old, but man, did she have a set of lung on her! They had been up for hours trying to get her to sleep. Luckily, they were magic and could put a silencing charm on the room. Needless to say, once she finally fell asleep, they took full advantage of the silence and slept themselves, even if it was only for a few hours.

Now that Victoire was happy and content, they decided to go downstairs and get some breakfast. _Sure she is happy now, why not 6 hours ago? _Fleur thought as she carried Victoire downstairs to the kitchen.

As they entered the kitchen, they both greeted Mrs. Weasley with yawns. Mrs. Weasley took Victoire from Fleur. The cute little baby smiled widely, her eyes brightening at the sight of her grandmother. She then proceeded to drool on the sleeve of Mrs. Weasley's robes. Bill and Fleur plopped down at the table and began to eat their breakfast. Mrs. Weasley smiled knowingly at the couple.

"She kept you up all night didn't she?"

"Yeah," Bill answered, "she just kept crying and crying."

"And zen she started to scream," Fleur continued, while Bill nodded in agreement.

Mrs. Weasley felt pity for her firstborn and his wife. She remembered what it was like to stay up all night with a fussy baby. They could probably use a few hours of undisturbed sleep. _It doesn't seem as though anything major is going to happen today unless anything happens with Ginny's treasure hunt. But they are probably too tired to be curious about that, _she thought to herself. She told them that she could watch, or have someone else watch, Victoire for the day while they caught up on sleep and alone time.

"I think I can handle it," she added, "besides, Teddy is here and you know how she is around Teddy. It's like none of us are in the room. You should be able to avoid the family for the whole day, unless the hunt of Harry's brings about anything newsworthy."

"What hunt?" Bill asked.

"The one Harry sent Ginny on this morning. All she would tell me was that 'the clues were sweet and thoughtful'. I'm rather curious to see what it all leads to. So what do you say? Can we take Victoire off your hands? "

They agreed after a moment's hesitation, finished their breakfast, and then trudged their way back upstairs looking forward to a day without having any interruptions. When they got upstairs, they changed back into their pajamas without saying a word. As they climbed into bed, Fleur was the first to speak.

"Zat was nice of your muzzer to keep an eye on Victoire."

"Yeah, I think she was probably looking for and excuse to spend more time with her," Bill laughed, "But what do you think about that hunt Harry's sent Ginny on?"

"I sink zat it is sweet. I am slightly curious to see where it will lead her. It zounds romantic, you should do stuff like zat for me more often," Fleur answered, smiling slyly at her husband, then turned over and promptly fell asleep.

Bill rolled his eyes at Fleur's back. _I'm going to have to have a talk with Harry about out doing the rest of us men. _He was sure he wasn't the only one who was going to get complained to, once this whole hunt thing was all said and done. Then he curled up next to his wife, and he, too, fell asleep.

* * *

Hermione walked out of Flourish and Blotts with a smile on her face. Not only did she get _In the Broom Cupboard_, she also got _The History of the Rights of Elves _("You're still on that, Hermione?")the latest edition of _Hogwarts: A History_ (Look, Ron! We're mentioned here on page 10,986!"), and _1001 Ways To Magically Improve You're Place _(Well, I have been meaning to decorate.") Even Ron came out with a book: _The Pocket Edition of Quidditch Jokes_. All of this they bought on sale, which made Hermione doubly happy.

They had spent hours there. Hermione had insisted on reading the first few chapters of each book, or in the case of _Hogwarts: A History_, the last few chapters, to make sure that she wanted them.

"I don't want to buy something only to find out that it isn't worth it," she told Ron when he asked her the point of this.

So while Hermione was reading, Ron wandered to the joke section. He found a book on muggle jokes and read some of them. At one point, he ran over to Hermione and read her a joke.

"What did the baby corn ask the mum corn?"

Hermione glanced up from _In the Broom Cupboard_ with a slightly annoyed expression. "I don't know, Ron, what?"

"Where's Popcorn?" Ron roared with laughter, "Get it? _Pop_corn! Like the snack!"

Hermione chuckled, more at Ron laughing, then at the joke. As it turned out, he bought the Quidditch joke book instead because he only understood a third of the muggle jokes. They bought their books by noon, to ensure getting them on sale, but didn't leave until after 1 o'clock because they got sidetracked talking to some friends from school they hadn't seen in a long time. When they finally got out of there, they decided to get some lunch at The Leaky Cauldron, then hit up some of Ron's favorite shops.

* * *

Ginny watched Teddy as he gleefully unwrapped an empty box for about the fourth time. Charlie had been magically re-wrapping the box for the last ten minutes or so. Teddy didn't seem to care what was inside, he just wanted to unwrap it. Yesterday, when they had been opening presents, he had opened all of his presents, then Harry's, whose lap he was on, then went over to help little Victoire with hers.

She thought about Harry's clue. Who _kept filling him up? _She wondered. Filling him up with what? Happy thoughts? Encouragement? Questions? Food?

Ohhhh. Food.

**A/N Okay, a few things to say:**

**I am the worst person at deciphering messages sometimes. Especially on the internet, and I can't tell if you guys are being sarcastic about your guesses or not, so I have been taking them seriously, it you are being sarcastic, bear with me, I'm sorry but I'll probably answer as if you are serious. **

**HaHa! I added the corn joke that I threatened in my profile. Isn't it hilarious? Well let's just say that I am Ron in this situation, and all my friends are like Hermione. This was one of my favorite scenes to write.**

**Teddy and Victoire's actions are based on my personal experiences with my niece, Abby and my nephew, Jacob. Who I got to see today with the other 6 nieces and nephews (step family) that's 8 total kids at my house today. Let's not talk about that….**

**School starts Tuesday, so I'm not going to make any predictions about my updating schedule, till I know what this semester is going to be like**

**Lastly, I am writing into uncharted territory. I haven't had a serious boyfriend, so the Bill/Fleur stuff could be totally wrong in the way they act, and I wouldn't know. Just letting you know where I stand.**

**Oh, please review and vote on my poll.**

**Shandra**


	10. Mrs Weasley

**A/N So today I told my spanish teacher that my New Year's Resolution was to speak in a British accent as much as possible this year. Then we spent the next 10 min. trying to speak Spanish with a British accent. Do I know how to distract teachers or what?**

**I finally get to write about someone I haven't written about yet, and I am totally excited. I bet right now you are thinking back to what characters I have written. Haha. You will now sooner or later! **

**Disclaimer**** Though I claim the idea for this particular story, I admit that I am not clever enough to write 7 amazing books, create an international phenomenon, and earn the big bucks. Ha…. What I could do with a million dollars...I'd start by paying for college!**

**I dedicate this chapter to Harry's invisibility cloak, because if I wish hard enough (hehe) I could borrow it and listen to people's conversations to see what they really think of me. Or do I want to know?**

**Listening to Titanic again.**

**On to the Story!**

_Oh! Mum keeps him filled up with food. _

Ginny rolled her eyes._Gee, Harry, _she was saying to the imaginary Harry that she was having a conversation with, _you really are clever with these clues. _She said this only half sarcastically. She was going to have a talk with him about his definition of sneaky.

While Ginny was still on the couch thinking about her next clue, Mrs. Weasley walked in holding baby Victoire. She set her down to play with Teddy and told George and Charlie that Bill and Fleur were sleeping, and she was busy working on lunch, and would they mind watching Victoire for awhile? Of course, they both readily agreed, eager to enjoy the antics of their two favorite kids.

Mrs. Weasley was on her way out of the living room when Ginny called to her.

"Hey mum, have you got something for me? Like a note from Harry maybe?"

"Oh Ginny, dear, I didn't see you! And yes, I do." Mrs. Weasley answered.

Ginny rolled her eyes for the second time in ten minutes. _These people are going to be the death of me! _"Could I have it?"

"Why should I give it to you? You won't even tell me what is going on."

"Mum, it's personal, if Harry wanted you to read it, he would have said you could read it, right? And he most likely didn't, so can I please have my clue?

"Yes here you go," she gave Ginny the next clue, impressed at how well Ginny knew Harry, then she left to work on lunch.

Ginny, happy to get the next clue, followed her out of the room, and continued up the stairs and heading into her bedroom. She plopped on her bed as she opened the latest clue.

_Ginny_

_I love your family. I am very thankful for all of you. You have all been there when I needed you most. You were all there no matter how dangerous the situation. Your parents are like the parents I never got to know. Your brothers are like my brothers, even Fred. And you, before you were my girlfriend, you were my sister. How could I ever repay all of you for being there for me? I chose your mum because I figured it would be best to get this clue from a family member, and for some reason, your mum just seemed like a logical choice. For your next clue, go to the spot where I got the best seventeenth birthday present ever. Another easy one, so no hint._

_Harry_

She sighed. That was so sweet of him to say stuff like that about her family. She also remembered when she was just like a sister to him. It stunk to be honest. She much rather preferred being his girlfriend. It had a lot more benefits than draw backs. The only big drawback being that ever since they got together, they hardly had a chance to be alone when they were at the Burrow. Stupid overprotective family.

She really was going to have to think about some way to pay Harry back this 'no hint' business. He got her used to the hints, then he just pulled them away from her. _That is _so_ like him,_ she thought. Then she 'humphed' just for good measure.

* * *

Percy was sitting in his room like he normally did when he was at the Burrow, only this time he wasn't working on homework for school, or working on paperwork for the ministry. This time, he was working on something much more difficult: writing a letter to his Hogwarts girlfriend, Penelope.

_Dear Penelope,_

Nah, too formal. Percy wadded up the paper and threw it in the waste basket, sure, he could've just erased it, or used magic, but he wasn't exactly thinking clearly.

_Dear Penny, _

No again, this one sounded too childish. Percy wadded up and threw this one away too.

_Dear Pen,_

Nope. Now it sounded like he was writing to a muggle writing utensil. This paper met the fate of the first two. Finally, Percy settled on something straight to the point.

_Penelope, _

_I can't wait to see you tonight. I was surprised and extremely happy to get your owl. I'm curious as to what it is you wanted to talk about. I'll see you at the Leaky Cauldron at 7.00_

_Percy_

_There, _Percy thought, _surely that will make me sound cool and collected. I wonder why she wanted to see me all of a sudden. Maybe she wants to get back together._

Percy folded up the letter and wrote Penelope's name on the front. He gave it to his owl, then decided that he should head downstairs. His stomach was telling him that he was hungry. On his way down he saw Ginny go into her room. If he wasn't mistaken, she looked like she was in an annoyed mood. Percy chuckled to himself, she was acting more and more like mum every time he saw her.

He didn't see her too much, though. She was always on the road with the Harpies and he was always working. He liked working. It was always organized. What was he going to do for the next two weeks? The Ministry had strict rules about vacation days, and he hadn't used any of his, so he had been forced to take the next two weeks off.

When he went into the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley looked up from the stove, and gave him a look.

"I was wondering when you were going to come down. You'll have to wait until lunch for food, it will be ready in about 10 minutes."

"I was just getting some things done in my room," Percy defended himself.

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes, this, of course, is where Ginny got that particular trait. Percy had always been 'getting some things done in his room' ever since he was a little boy.

"George and Charlie are in the living room playing with Victoire and Teddy. Andromeda left Teddy here for a few days to visit friends, and Bill and Fleur are trying to catch up on sleep."

"Where is everyone else?" Percy asked. It must have been a trait in the male Weasley line. Every single one of them wanted to know what everyone else was doing. _Extremely nosy family, _Mrs. Weasley thought.

"Well, let's see. Hermione dragged Ron off to Diagon Alley for sale shopping," Mrs. Weasley laughed, "I don't know who I should feel more sorry for, Ron for having to follow her around while she shops, or Hermione for having to put up with him all day."

"Probably Hermione," Percy muttered.

"Your father is outside in the shed tinkering with those muggle objects he got for Christmas, Ginny is on a hunt that Harry put together, and Harry is up in his room cleverly avoiding Ginny."

"What do you mean Ginny is on a hunt?"

"Harry sent her on a treasure hunt this morning and neither one of them will tell what is going on. It's frustrating."

Percy laughed. "Well, I think I'll go join Charlie and George. OH, before I do, I wanted to tell you that I won't be home for dinner, I'm having it with a friend."

Percy walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room before his mum could ask questions. He didn't feel like telling her who he was going to meet.

_Since when did all my children become so mysterious? _Mrs. Weasley asked herself as she watched Percy escape before she could ask him who he was meeting.

* * *

Arthur Weasley looked around the shed with a smile on his face. The whole shed was covered with many different random muggle artifacts. There was paper stapled to the wall, some of the papers had staple designs in them. He had discovered that it was not a good idea to put your finger where the staplers come out, luckily he had his wand with him, so he could clean it up quickly.

Arthur had also remembered that matches were very temperamental wooded sticks that if you struck it the right way, it made fire. Hence the large pile of burnt matches on the table. His hands were covered in ink from his exploration of a fountain pen. There were the ever-fun outlets to add to his collection.

It also looked as if Harry had helped some in getting the box together because there was a rubber ducky with instructions on what it was for. _It's a _toy?_Why would you want to take a toy into the bath with you? _Arthur was completely bewildered by this. Finally, after hours of going through the box, there were only two things left. Two books actually. The first was _The Beginner's Guide to Physics_, with a note from Hermione attached.

_Read this, and be sure to ask me it you have any questions. You might need this for the next book._

The next book proved to be a lot more interesting, it was _How Airplanes Fly and Other Amazing Muggle Inventions_. Excited did not even begin to describe how Arthur was feeling at this point. He read Hermione's note attached to this one.

_Thought you might like this. It was in the new release aisle at Flourish and Blotts the other day. Enjoy!_

As he flipped through the pages, Arthur decided that if he was to ever teach a class about Muggles, this would be the perfect textbook. He smiled happily, conjured himself a big comfy chair and began to read the section on airplanes.

* * *

Ginny sat on her bed thinking about Harry's seventeenth birthday. It had been just before he had left to find the Horcruxes. There had been his gifts down stairs, the cake in the shape of a snitch, and her gift…..

_Oh Harry, that is just too sweet._

**A/N I am soooooo sorry for the long wait. It turns out that work and school and filling out scholarships takes up a lot more time than what you would think!**

**I blame any unusual fluffiness on lack of sleep (see above reasons)**

**I have been using a typewriter for scholarships and I would just like to say that I miss the backspace button!**

**This is your last chance to vote in the poll, I'll need to close it for when I write the next chapter.**

**Please Review, it is greatly appreciated.**

**P.S. Kristen, sorry I didn't get this to you before you left. Hope you are having fun in Spain!**


	11. Window

**A/N I am so so so so sorry that I have not updated sooner. I have been extremely busy. But that is hardly an excuse, I know**

**Disclaimer**** tired….must think of something funny…..not working….ok fine, I don't own it…..there….**

**I dedicate this chapter to my study hall teacher Miss Farrell and my purple pen. Without either of these, especially the pen, I wouldn't have had the first part written out already. Sorry if you were expecting something 'insightful' relating to Harry Potter….**

**On with the story!**

Ginny walked over to her window that looked over their 'quidditch pitch'. She thought back to the summer before her 6th year. Bill and Fleur's wedding was around that time, but she was thinking of a specific day, Harry's birthday, in fact.

She had been clueless as to what to get him. What exactly were you supposed to get your ex-boyfriend, who you still liked and the only reason he had broken up with you was to protect her? Not to mention the fact that she wouldn't know where he was or who he was with. _What if he finds another girl? _She remembered asking herself.

And then she decided that she was going to be bold and kiss him. It's not like they hadn't done it before, and it wouldn't change anything between them, there was already so much tension between them she could hardly stand it. And then, when she had finally got him alone, he had assured her that he wouldn't be seeing any girls where he was going. Silver lining indeed!

Then her stupid git of a brother had to burst in on them and started yelling at Harry. _He really had lousy timing, _she smiled wryly, _for me at least._Stupid git. Had she said that already?

She had been staring out the window, daydreaming about that time, funny how that was only two and a half years ago. It seemed like so much longer. Looking back, she was happy to say that she was pleased with the way things had turned out. Well, relationship wise, if she'd had her way, Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Colin would still be alive. But she was on a hunt. Now was not the time to be looking back. While she had been thinking this, her hand, that had been gripping the window sill, caught on something. It was the next clue. Ginny eagerly opened it.

_Ginny,_

_I love how bold you are. I vividly remember the snog you gave me for my 17__th__ birthday. It was definitely a snog you don't forget. I understood so much within those few seconds than I did during that whole summer. If you hadn't had the guts to do that, I don't know how I could've gotten through that whole year. I don't know if you know this or not, but I was still feeling nervous around you even though we had been going out. Obviously this spot reminds me of that time. It was really amazing until your brother came in on us. Stupid git. He has lousy timing, for us at least For your next clue head outside one last time. Watch out for the gnomes. _

_Harry_

Ginny laughed at how Harry had called Ron a git just like she had. Great minds think alike! She was really enjoying reading his notes, she had known that Harry was sweet; she just hadn't known he was this sweet. She was so surprised with what he kept coming up with. It was amazing how they thought the same, not only with the whole Ron thing, but also the fact that they both considered her kissing him to be a bold move.

Now she really believed that it had been the best thing to do. She was pretty sure that, like Harry, she would have had a harder time getting through that whole year. She hadn't known that he was nervous around her, she had just blamed it on the awkwardness of seeing each other. She figured that after battling Voldemort a few time, girls would be a breeze. It's nice to know that he felt some of the same insecurities that she had felt.

Ginny bundled up to head outside for one last time. _One last time _must mean that she was approaching the end of the hunt. Ginny felt that uncomfortable feeling of butterflies in the stomach. Should she be nervous about what was there at the end? Was it good? What if he was just saying all these nice things so that he can soften the blow when he breaks up with her? That would be terrible. How would she get through the rest of her life? All of these questions were floating around in her mind as she made her way outside. If anyone would have seen her at this moment, they would not have known what to make of the tears that were forming in Ginny's eyes.

* * *

Harry had been nervous about leaving that note with Mrs. Weasley, he really trusted her and only a small part of him was worried that she would open the note. But still, if Mrs. Weasley read that note, she might be realize what it was leading to and tell everyone, or at least Ginny, and he was counting on an element of surprise. He had been trying for weeks to make sure everything was perfect.

Surprisingly though, writing the notes had been the easiest part. If he had known years ago how much easier it was to write your feelings out on paper where you couldn't get tongue-tied, or forget something important, or even turn red in the face like he had a tendency of doing when he tried to talk about his feelings, it would have saved him a great deal of heartache, and he and Ginny might've been together sooner than his 6th year.

The hard part was getting the clues to where they needed to be. The ones outside were easy. He put those out there before he left the first clue with Ginny. Then the ones around the house. He just had to hope that no one but Ginny would find them, but he was pretty sure no one would look under the cushions of the couch or under the rug in the hall. After those, he put the clues in Ginny's room. He had to use a silencing charm for this one. Ginny was a light sleeper and he kept bumping into things in the dark. In his defense, it _is_ hard to see in the dark. The hardest one had been Mrs. Weasley. Luckily, she had come in with breakfast for him, if she hadn't he might've had to put on his Invisibility cloak and slip it into Mrs. Weasley's cloak pocket and hope she checked when Ginny asked for it.

It was now mid-afternoon, and Harry was keeping an eye out for Ginny. She would be heading outside one last time before the last clue. Luckily, he would be able to see her find the next clue perfectly from the window. Then she would be coming in. Harry didn't know what scared him more, the thought of what she might say when this was over, or the thought of what he had to do before it could all be over. The thought of either of these made his stomach twist into knots.

He knew that throughout the whole hunt he had probably annoyed Ginny countless times, hopefully he had made it up by writing those notes, but he would still have to make sure not to say the wrong thing, he knew what Ginny, in a temper, with a wand would be like:

_Not good._

She was probably most upset when he didn't give her any hints. He just innocently told himself that he wanted to keep her on her toes and guessing. But the truth was that he liked having one up on her. He would never admit it to anyone, but that didn't happen very often with Ginny.

Harry held his breath as he saw a bundled up Ginny come outside looking around for the next clue. He finally remembered to breathe when he saw her heading toward the garden. His heart began to beat faster as she began to look around.

* * *

Ginny shivered against the cold as she stepped outside. She pushed her thoughts of dread out of her mind and tried to just focus on the next clue. _Watch out for the gnomes. _She thought that it was rather obvious to head out to the garden, but the garden wasn't small, and it might look empty since nothing was in bloom in the winter, but there were still many places he could leave a note.

She began to walk around, looking aimlessly around, stopping every once in awhile to look under a bush, the stone bench, or a rock. She even got bit by a gnome once. _Bloody gnome! Guess I should've paid closer attention to Harry's warning._ She thought as the looked at the bite mark it had made.

As she got up to continue searching, Ginny stumbled upon a stepping stone engraved with her mum's favorite poem. She had always read it to Ginny whenever she had a hard time going to sleep. Ginny had gotten the stone for her mum for her birthday a few years ago.

Smiling, Ginny bent down to read the oh-so-familiar verses.

**A/N Ahhh it feels so good to be writing again. I am really sorry for the delay. Guess what! It's your favorite time again (besides reading the story of course!) It's time I let you know what is going on it this crazy, overly stressed head! Yay!**

**Okay first things first, do any of you fellow Americans find it weird to write/type 'snog' instead of kiss or make out? My spell check keeps underling it.**

**I thought it might be interesting for you guys to know that this chapter had no middle until I sat down to write it. I had no idea that that was how Harry was feeling until I started typing it out. It was like I was in a trance……don't look at me like I'm stupid I'm being completely serious. (ha ha that was definitely a Sirius joke. Right)**

**So for the rest of the plot, I was at a loss of until I decided that I needed to clear my head and think about it undisturbed, so what did I do? I took a shower. And you can thank this chapter for three things: **

**1) the next 3****amazing**** chapters in this story, not joking, completly excited for them, might even blow off schoolwork for them…..**

**2) a new story that is sorta a continuation of this one. I've had this idea for awhile, but in the shower, I had an epiphany. Woooo.**

**And 3) MOTIVATION!!!!! Yay!**

**Sorry this is so long……one last thing:**

**And all I have to say is wow! When I started this story, I woulda been happy with like 20 reviews, but I have 90. Excuse me while I revert to a child hood phrase:**

**Holy Cow!**

**Review are always appreciated, and they might help me get though the week…**


	12. Stepping Stone

**A/N I was so excited for this next chap. That I decided to write it now. Less than 24 hours later! Yay!**

**Disclaimer:**** So today the part of my brain that is in control of memory, pushed its way to the front of the listening committee (the ears, duh) and reminded me that since Harry Potter is "seventeen years in the making" it would be impossible for me to claim ownership seeing as how I am seventeen now. I politely told the ears to banish that particular part but the reasonable part told them (the ears) that I might need them later for tests and things. Grr I hate it when the reasonable part is right….**

**Anyway, I dedicate this chapter to the people who decide whether or not we have a two hour delay. Because if I suck up to them, I might be able to sleep in, and we might not have half the school late because there were accidents and the roads were slick. Hmph. **

**Sorry for that minor rant. It won't happen again…actually I take that back. It might. On to the story.**

_How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.  
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height  
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight  
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.  
I love thee to the level of everyday's  
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.  
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;  
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.  
I love thee with the passion put to use  
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.  
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose  
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,  
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,  
I shall but love thee better after death._

Ginny sighed as she finished reading the poem. That poem is attached to so many good memories with her mum. She remembered listening to her and dreaming about her future husband and how he would profess his love to her. When she was younger, there were so many options. Now there was only one.

Acting on a hunch, she lifted up the stone and found the next clue. There wasn't a speck of dirt on it. Harry had probably charmed it so that it wouldn't get stained. The butterflies in her stomach were back as she opened the note.

_Ginny,_

_I love how you are the only one for me. I honestly can't imagine myself with anyone but you. You know me so well and I know you very well, too. We have so much in common, and I know that this is cliché, but you are like my puzzle piece, the other half of my whole. I sent you out here because I remember you telling me all about this stone and the story behind it. I know how much it means to you. This it the last clue. I know, you are probably jumping up and down with happiness. Anyway, here is your last cue. Go back to the place of the first clue. There is something waiting up there for you._

_Harry_

_Awww, _Ginny thought, _that is so sweet. _Surely he can't break up with her after a declaration like that. Besides, Harry did know her too well. If any one had been looking out the window when she read that this was the last clue, they would have been amused to see Ginny Weasley, holding a piece of parchment, and apparently dancing to a very up-beat song, you might even call it a head banger.

Then she read the rest of the note, sat down on the bench, and rested her head in her hands. In a while, she would finally know what the final clue was. Whether she was prepared for it or not. Wow. That was slightly scary.

While she was still on the bench, George and Charlie came around the house, brooms in hand.

"Hey, Ginny! Wanna play?" George asked.

"Uh, no, I don't think so. I'm a bit busy." Ginny replied.

"Busy? Busy doing what?" Charlie asked, knowing that she wasn't going to tell him, but asking anyway.

"None of your business." Ginny said, somewhat huffily. _Honestly, have they always been this nosy?_

"Oh well," said George, hardly missing a beat, "We'll go play by ourselves!" He then started to walk away toward the orchard to play.

"How?" Ginny wondered, "You can't really play two players Quidditch."

George and Charlie just smirked and walked away. They weren't going to tell anyone yet about George's new invention until they were sure it would work. The _Self Analyzing, Lifelike, Quidditch Team in a Box_ was something George had thought about after a boring day he'd had because no one would play Quidditch with him. He had asked Charlie to help him out with it. If anyone knew the ins and outs of Quidditch, it was Charlie.

Ginny had a feeling that she wasn't going to get any information out of them, especially if she wasn't going to tell them about her hunt. Ginny shrugged she would probably find out what it was eventually. Realizing that her bum was cold from sitting on the bench for too long, she made her way inside, hoping to get some tea and something to eat. This might be her last opportunity. She probably shouldn't experience any big shock or whatever it was up in Ron and Harry's room, on an empty stomach. Yep, she should get something to eat.

* * *

Harry watched as Ginny walked aimlessly around the garden, occasionally bending over to look under a bush. He silently gloated that he was right to Ginny when she got bit by the gnome. Then he saw her bend down and read the poem. She looked so cute standing there mouthing the words of the poem, her mind of in wonderland, her face reflecting a person who is completely relaxed and happy. Then she picked the note up from under the stepping stone, stood up from the cold ground and began reading. 

Harry laughed out loud when he saw Ginny dancing crazily. _I didn't think she would be that happy for the clues to be over with, _Harry thought wryly. After she had finished reading, he watched her sit on the stone bench for at least ten minutes, just staring off into space.

_Go inside, Ginny. Its cold out there, _he ordered her. She didn't seem to listen to him. Typical. She didn't move until George and Charlie came into view and started talking to her. They were obviously trying to talk her into a game of Quidditch. They didn't seem to upset when she said she wasn't going to play, but they did look like they were up to something. He'd rather not know, he thought to himself.

Besides, now he had to finish getting ready for when Ginny came up here. He had already cleaned the room (and himself) now all he had to do was get everything in position for when she came in.

* * *

Ginny trudged into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was putting everything away from lunch. Ginny worked around her mum, making herself a sandwich and warming up some tea then sitting down. As she bit into her sandwich she got to thinking that she hadn't seen most of her family since this morning. Some not at all, and some just in passing. 

After she swallowed, Ginny asked, "Where is everyone? I know that Andromeda is gone and that Charlie and George are outside, but that is about it."

Mrs. Weasley, who was starting to wonder why all the other Weasleys wanted to know where all the other Weasleys were, they haven't always been this nosy, started ticking off where people were, while suddenly feeling like the mother hen who knows where all her chicks are.

"Well let's see, your father is in the shed messing around with muggle stuff," she started with the oldest and made her way down, "Bill and Fleur are sleeping because Victoire kept them up all night, Percy is up in his room but his, but he will be leaving in a few hours to meet someone, Teddy and Victoire are taking a nap, Hermione took Ron to Diagon Alley for some shopping, I wonder if she bought that new book about the Hogwarts prefects yet? You and I are right here, and…."

She stopped talking, unsure whether or not Ginny was supposed to know where Harry was right now. Better to keep her mouth shut.

Ginny hadn't heard what her mum had said after Ron and Hermione in Diagon Alley, she had been silently praising herself for an excellent sandwich.

"When will Hermione and Ron be back?" Ginny asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Mrs. Weasley asked suspiciously, "Do you have something to tell them?"

"Uh, no. Why would I have something to tell them?"

"Because of the hunt," Mrs. Weasley answered as if this were obvious.

"Oh. Nope. Nothing to tell them, just curious as to when they will be back." Ginny said wondering if she would have something to tell them after all. She'd know in a bit.

Finally, she couldn't wait any longer. She had to know what was up in his room. She was going to go up right now. Even if she did feel like she needed to throw up. _There's nothing to worry about, I'll be fine, _she thought to herself. Ginny rolled her eyes at herself. Yeah right! She hadn't been this nervous since before the Quidditch World Cup game last year. But that had turned out fine.

Ginny said good-bye to her mother, took a deep breath, then started to walk up the stairs. They seemed to go on forever. _Well, _she thought, _here goes nothing._

"You'll be fine, dear," she thought she heard her mother say as she reached the third step.

**A/N Hmm. I don't know about you girls out there, but I really wouldn't mind someone like Harry. Sigh. **

** Well, I personally am pretty proud of this chapter, and if I didn't know what was coming up next, I would be extremely angry with me. But luckily, me and myself are getting along fine. **

**Except for the fact that one of my favorite actors died. Me and my friend texted each other at the same time to tell each other that Heath Ledger died. I actually cried. Have you ever seen ****Fame**** where that guy is obsessed with Freddy Prince, and he's like a total wreck when he dies, well I have a slight case of that. So tomorrow I am wearing black and Thursday, I am watching ****Knight's Tale**** with my friends in honor of him.**

**I took another shower purely for inspiration again. Though you'd like to know. Hehe.**

**Well I think that that is it. All I have to say now is…..**

**Please review, cuz then I got sunshine on a cloudy day, when it's cold outside, I've got the month of May.**

**Bibliography**

**Song from above: My Girl by Temptations**

**Poem from beginning: Sonnet 43 **_**Sonnet From The Portuguese**_** by Elizabeth Barrett Browning **


	13. Harry

**A/N I feel I must apoligize, I could've gotten this up yesterday, but I fell asleep, then when I woke up I lost motivation, so I just read fanfic for a few hours before I fell asleep again. What can I say? Long week.**

**Disclaimer**** If I was JK Rowling, I would already know what it was like to end a story, since I am completely depressed and have no clue what to do after next chapter, then I am obviously not JK Rowling**

**I dedicate this story to Mrs. Weasley's clock. Because I want one. See reasoning for Invisibility Cloak.**

**And now on to the chapter you have all been waiting for and guessing about, and that I have been planning in my head for at least a month.**

Harry heard Ginny talking to her mom. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could tell who it was. _Good, _he thought, _I still have a few more minutes to get ready._

He had been rushing around like mad for the last half hour. Even with magic, it was hard work to clean the pigsty that was his and Ron's room. What was even worse was that they had only been in this room for a week. They had their own place, but it had become a tradition to spend the week of Christmas at the Burrow with all the other Weasleys.

For the first ten minutes, Harry put away all of their clothes and Christmas presents. He had stuffed all of Ron's stuff in his closet. All of his stuff, he had shrunk and stored it in his trunk. Then he swept and dusted, Mrs. Weasley had probably done it before they had gotten there, but still, he wanted to make sure everything was right. Lastly, Harry rearranged and decorated the room so that it would seem more romantic.

Harry started off by moving the furniture to the side and clearing a space in the center of the room. Next he conjured up a white couch with navy blue cushions and a navy blue throw that looked really warm. Harry hid all of Ron's Chudley Cannons stuff, added navy and white drapes to the windows, turned off the lights and lit at least 30 candles, some floating, some in stands, all around the room. Harry even had some soft music playing in the background.

Even for Harry the room looked amazing. And he was pretty proud of himself for transforming a boy's room into the most romantic spot in the house. He couldn't wait for Ginny to see it. As a final touch, he put a silencing charm around the room, so Ginny wouldn't hear anything before she came in and so that the Weasley's wouldn't listen at the door.

He heard a creak on the step. Ginny was coming up the stairs. Harry glanced around, making sure everything was in place, then got in position himself.

* * *

Ginny walked up the stairs concentrating very hard on her breathing. If she didn't, she was likely to hyperventilate. She was trying to decide which would be better, to know what Harry was up to and relieve her curiosity or not find out what she was going to learn when she went up into the room and continue her life just the way it is. Her curiosity won out and she decided to find out why Harry was doing all of these completely romantic gestures. 

She reached the room took a deep breath, and then turned the knob.

She was completely taken off guard when she opened the door. There was no way to tell that this had once been Ron's room. It was beautiful. The room was decorated in two of her favorite colors: white and navy. The candles were making the room glow beautifully. Everything was just perfect. And then she saw Harry, standing in front of the couch grinning at her.

"Harry? What is going on? What's this all about?" she asked, walking towards him.

Harry met her half way, grabbed her hands, and knelt down in front of her. He took a deep breath and said what he had been practicing all day.

"Ginny, I love _you_. I hope that all of the notes I left you told you how much I love you, and all of the little ways that I love you. I think if I would have tried to tell you all of that in person, I would have frozen up and I would have forgotten what I wanted to say. I want you to know that what I said in those notes is true. I really love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

He opened up a ring case that had a beautiful ring inside. It was a gold band with a teardrop emerald. It perfectly matched the earrings he had gotten her for Christmas.

Ginny was in shock after he had said that he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, she was so excited that he wasn't breaking up with her that his question barely registered.

When it did she had to quickly replay it in her head to make sure she was hearing it right._Will you marry me? _Wow. That was completely unexpected. How could she not have seen that coming? She was always so aware of what was going on around her. That old saying must be true then, love _is_ blind. Love. She was in love. She was going to marry the one she loved. As soon as she told him yes. Oh dear. She had forgotten to say yes. Poor Harry is probably freaking out.

She looked down, and sure enough, Harry's face had signs of confusion, concern, and anxiety as he watched Ginny, who appeared to be in la-la land for lack of a better phrase. She smiled down at him and gave him an answer.

"Yes, Harry, of course I'll marry you."

* * *

Harry had been so scared when Ginny didn't answer right away, and he began to have doubts about asking Ginny suddenly, but he had thought that he had given her enough clues. But then, she looked down and smiled and he knew that everything would be alright. Then she had said yes. 

He stood up, gathered her in his arms grinned down at her and said, "Good, because it would have been really weird explaining to your family why I had sent you on a treasure hunt all morning just for the heck of it. Ginny let out a giggle just before Harry's lips met hers.

About an hour later, Harry was sitting on the couch, with Ginny curled up next to him, and they were just talking.

"I thought for sure that Hermione had helped you with the clues and all that stuff." Ginny told him.

Harry laughed, "Nope, I did it all myself."

"They were really sweet, how did you pull it off? When did you put all the clues where they were supposed to be?" Ginny asked him, glad she could finally ask him what she had been wondering since early this morning.

"Well, I put all the clues in their places saving your room for last, then I woke you up then hid in the bathroom while you went up to my room for the first clue, then I hid in my room for the rest of the time. I knew that Ron would get in the way with what I was planning, so I talked Hermione into taking Ron out for the day," Harry laughed, "It didn't take much to convince her. The hardest part was not telling her what was going on. When she gives you that look, you know it would just be easier to give in then suffer the consequences of that look. Luckily, she backed off when I told her that she would find out soon enough."

Ginny had been listening carefully to what he had been saying, and had laughed when he talked about the look from Hermione. Even Ginny, her best friend, knew that look well and knew exactly what Harry was talking about. Then she thought of another question.

"How did you get that letter to my mum?"

Harry grinned, "Well that was completely lucky. She came up to give me some breakfast, and I asked her if she would give that to you when you asked about it."

"Oh," Ginny said, "That was lucky."

"Yeah, I know. So when you were outside and reading the note that was in the boot, what part were you laughing at? I was watching you from the window."

Ginny's eyes narrowed accusingly, "I _knew_ that you were watching me!"

Harry just smiled innocently.

She thought back to what was in the note. It was the one about the Quidditch Cup.

"Oh! I was laughing at you comment about the Death Eaters. For some reason that really cracked me up. By the way did you really think that I would be able to solve those clues that you didn't give any hints on? It was by pure luck that I found that one under the rug in the hall."

Harry laughed. He had known this was going to come up. "Don't worry about it. You found it anyway. Besides, I didn't think it was that hard."

"Easy for you to say, you already knew where it would be," Ginny muttered.

Harry just laughed. Then sobered up enough to suggest heading downstairs to tell everyone the news.

"Yeah!" Ginny agreed, "I can't wait to tell everyone that we are getting married. They are going to be so surprised!"

And with that, they stood up and headed downstairs hand in hand to tell all the Weasleys the good news.

**A/N Wow. That was amazingly fun to write. I even had to stop cuz I had tears in my eyes when she said yes  
**

**Congrats to everyone who guessed right. It was hard not to tell ya you got it right. Chocolate Frogs to everyone! Whooo!**

**Wow. I can't believe that I have 134 reviews! Amazing!**

**To answer a question I got: oops! I screwed up! It was 2 and a ½ years since Voldemort died, a little more than 3 years since Bill and Freur's wedding, and assuming Ginny went back to school, a year and a ½ since she graduated. Sorry for the confusion.**

**One more chap. after this.**

** this would have been up a few hours ago but me and a friend went to go see 27 Dresses (which is amazing) then we went to our school basketball game, and I just got home, and I had it all typed out except for one part, so I waited, then I added the last part and read through it. Lucky I did, there were a lot of mistakes! hope you enjoy!  
**

**Reviews are always nice.**

**Shandra **


	14. Family

**A/N I'm sorry for making everyone wait for this. I was stuck on it. Procrastinating actually. I can't believe this is it! I think I'm going to cry!**

**Disclaimer:**** nothing has changed since the previous 13 chapters.**

**I would like to dedicate this last (sniff!) chapter to all of my excellent reviewers! Thanks to every single one who added to the 160 reviews that I have gotten. I am kerfuddled that you all liked it that much. **

**Oh dear. It's been over two weeks! **

**I'm so sorry this took so long to get up. I had the hardest time planning it. I tried the shower, I tried meditating, I even tried to trick my brain into dreaming the plot, but to no avail. I finally decided to just sit down and write, and this is what I came up with.**

**And without further ado……for the last time (sniff. sniff.) on with the story! **

They walked down the stairs hand in hand, hoping to get all of the family together so they wouldn't have to say it a bazillion times and answer the same questions over and over again.

When is the wedding?

Where is the wedding?

Can I see the ring?

How did he propose?

Well ok, maybe not that last one. Any one who has been at the Burrow at all should know how he proposed. Then again, they might want details.

Ginny was on Harry's left, her thumb absentmindedly rubbing the ring. It was a weird feeling, she had never worn rings before, and she figured it would take a little getting used too. Not that she was complaining. In fact, she wasn't complaining at all. And, she wasn't planning on telling Harry this, but she figured that he had made up for all the annoying things he had done during the hunt by proposing to her.

Proposing to her. It had barely sunk in. _I am going to be marrying Harry! _she thought excitedly. Never in her dreams, well ok, _only _in her dreams had she imagined that she would be engaged to Harry. Her Harry. Sweet, romantic, thoughtful, adorable, Harry.

She sighed. Life was good.

Ginny looked over at Harry, who smiled back just as they entered the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was the only one in there. Well, except for Teddy and Victoire, who were asleep in the playpen. They were adorable. Teddy was sleeping on his back and had a hand thrown onto Victoire's head, which was resting on Teddy's stomach.

Mrs. Weasley looked up when she heard someone come into the kitchen. She took one look at Harry and Ginny smiling with slightly goofy smiles on their faces, looked down at Ginny's left hand, and screamed,

"He's proposed!" she ran up to them, giving them great big hugs, and crying all over them.

Ginny shared a bewildered look with Harry, and finally after almost being squished to death, then she finally asked, "How did you know?"

"It was obvious," Mrs. Weasley said rolling her eyes, "I knew it was something important, it couldn't just be a fun way for him to tell you that he loves you like some of your brothers have been thinking. Besides, with all the secrecy, especially between the two of you, the first thing I was going to do when I saw you after you went up to find Harry would be to look at your hand. Woman's instinct, I guess."

They both just laughed as Mrs. Weasley shrugged her shoulders and went on to the more important details.

"So when are you going to tell the others? Have you set a date yet? Where is it going to be? You're not planning a long engagement are you? In my opinion, there's no need to wait, just as long as you have time to set things up. Where do you think you would want to go on your honeymoon?"

"Mom," Ginny interrupted, "Slow down! We just got engaged an hour ago, we haven't really had time to discuss anything yet."

"An hour?" Mrs. Weasley asked, distracted, she was busy summoning all the information she had gathered when she was helping Fleur plan her and Bill's wedding, "But that's plenty of time to set a date. What have you been doing the last hour?" she asked, slightly suspicious.

"Talking," they both answered at the same time, sounding guilty, but in truth they had really just been talking, enjoying each other's presence.

Mrs. Weasley glanced up at them, trying to decide whether or not they were being truthful, finally deciding that it wasn't really any of her business, and not sure if she wanted to know, she changed the subject telling that, being as it was about 6:30, dinner would be ready in a few minutes, and since food seemed to attract Weasleys from wherever they were, they could just go ahead and tell them at dinner.

So Harry and Ginny sat down at the table, while Mrs. Weasley finished up dinner, and Teddy and Victoire slept peacefully at one end of the room.

Sure enough, at 6:30, the back door opened, letting in Mr. Weasley from the shed, George and Charlie from playing 'Quidditch', and Ron and Hermione, who had just arrived from Diagon Alley and were carrying many packages.

Hermione was giving Ginny weird looks, then noticed the ring on Ginny's left hand, and almost shrieked her congratulations, but didn't say anything when she saw Ginny quickly shake her head, letting her know that they were going to wait. _Hermione must have Women's intuition, too, _Ginny thought to herself with a smile.

As some of the Weasleys were coming in from outside, the rest of them headed down the stairs. Bill and Fleur, who looked as though they had just woken up from the first restful sleep they had had in weeks, which in fact was the truth, and Percy, who looked like he was getting ready to go out.

Ginny, nudged Harry, noticing that Percy was getting ready to leave, he took it as his cue to tell every one and he raised his voice over the noise of many different conversations.

"How was Diagon Alley, Ron? I hear Hermione dragged all over the place."

"Oh Bill, look at Victoire and Teddy! Don't they look adorable?"

"George, that idea of yours is brilliant, after you work out the kinks, you know like the winning seeker bopping everyone on the head with a Beater's bat, it will be a best seller!"

"Hermione, thank you for all the muggle stuff, I haven't had so much fun since I was at Hogwarts!"

"I would really love to stay, but I am meeting…."

"Everyone! Listen up! Me and Ginny have something to tell you."

Harry had to practically scream to be heard. Everyone looked at him expectantly. He put an arm around Ginny's shoulders and said, "We're engaged."

The reaction was not at all what they had expected, not that they had any idea of what _to _expect.

Fleur and Hermione both shrieked, and just like Mrs. Weasley, smothered the newly engaged couple with hugs and questions.

The men, on the other hand, all stood in shock their mouths slightly open. None of them could hardly believe that little Ginny, their little sister or, in Mr. Weasley's case, daughter, was going to get married.

After the initial shock, they all went up to Harry and Ginny to offer their heartfelt congratulations.

"Harry, if I didn't like you so much, I would be very upset that my baby sister was getting married before I was!" Charlie said, giving them both a hug.

"I wish Fred were still alive. He owes me 30 Galleons plus interest. You see me and him had an ongoing bet about whether or not you guys would stick together since you guys started kissing after winning that game. You never would have guessed it, but Fred was a glass half empty person, and well, I was always rooting for you guys the whole time. Needless to say, I almost had to pay him after Dumbledore's funeral, but luckily there was a 5 year time period on it, you see, every couple has their issues, that's what I told Fred, but you know those glass half empty people…" George said after he had his turn in hugging the couple, leaving almost everyone in tears.

"I'm so happy for you guys! Now I really have to get going, or I am going to be late," Percy said, then left.

Mr. Weasley, Hermione, and Fleur, carrying baby Victoire, who had woken up because of all the noise, all offered their congratulations. When Bill went up to congratulate Harry and Ginny, he told Harry that it wasn't fair to the other men in the household to do such extravagant things for their significant other, because it made the rest of them look bad.

Ginny promptly threatened Bill with a Bat Bogey, and told Harry not to pay attention to him, and that she liked the 'extravagant things'.

Finally, it was Ron's turn to say something to the beaming couple. This was probably the person they both had been slightly anxious to hear what he had to say. Neither of them expected what he said when he finally got the opportunity to talk.

"'Bout time, mate."

**The End**

**A/N Well that wasn't as hard as what I thought it was going to be. I'm actually not as sad as what I thought I would be. I'm actually happy. I hope you guys have all enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it.**

**Writing George's response made me cry. That is probably the closest to angst you will ever see from me.**

**Thanks again to my reviewers. You really encouraged me to continue.**

**Sorry if I have confused any of you these past couple weeks. I have already started the sequel entitled **_**Through the Veil**_**, and I have already posted the first chapter. I had planned on writing this right after that, but writer's block set in. Anyway, I wanted to get that up so I could advertise it right down here, for all of you **_**LMSYTW **_**fans.**

**I also have another completely new story entitled **_**Muggle Equivalents **_**that you should check out.**

**Thanks for everything, guys! You're the greatest!**

**Reviews are appreciated.**


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